How to Find and Target Your Ideal Customers Online

Let’s talk about Ben, who owns a thriving home renovation business that brings in ￡2.3 million a year. His business had grown steadily over the years, but recently, he’d started noticing that his marketing efforts weren’t as effective as they used to be. His business was getting clicks and likes online, but those weren’t turning into leads or, more importantly, sales. Ben knew he needed to focus on finding and targeting his ideal customers online, but he wasn’t sure where to begin.

Ben didn’t want to waste money on ineffective ads or feel like he was throwing darts at a wall, hoping something would stick. He wanted a practical, straightforward approach to finding the right customers—the ones who were ready to hire him for their renovation projects.

Here’s how Ben found and targeted his ideal customers online, and how you can do the same for your small business.

1. Understand Who Your Ideal Customers Are

The first step Ben took was to really understand who his best customers were. He didn’t just focus on general characteristics like “homeowners.” He looked at his past clients and noticed patterns—most of his ideal customers were in their mid-40s to mid-60s, owned homes in affluent areas, and often had specific renovation needs, like kitchen extensions or loft conversions.

Ben realised that by narrowing his focus to this group, he could tailor his marketing to the customers who were most likely to book his services.

Lesson: Start by identifying your ideal customers. Look at your past clients—who are your best customers? What do they have in common? What problems are they trying to solve, and why do they choose you?

2. Be Where Your Customers Are

Once Ben understood who his ideal customers were, he had to figure out where they were spending their time online. He realised that his target audience wasn’t scrolling through TikTok or Instagram—they were more likely to be on Facebook, reading home improvement blogs, and using Google to search for renovation ideas.

Ben focused his efforts on these platforms. He updated his Google Business Profile , making sure his business would show up in local search results. He also started running Facebook ads targeting people in specific neighbourhoods who had shown an interest in home renovations.

Lesson: You don’t need to be on every social media platform—just the ones where your ideal customers are. Spend time understanding where your customers go to find information about services like yours, and focus your efforts there. A great audience research tool to use is Sparktoro .

3. Use Targeted Content to Build Trust

Ben realised that his ideal customers were more likely to trust him if they saw that he was an expert in his field. So, he started creating content that was tailored to the needs of his audience. He wrote blog posts about common renovation challenges, shared before-and-after photos of his projects, and posted helpful tips for homeowners looking to increase the value of their property.

He didn’t just post this content on his website—he made sure to share it in Facebook groups where local homeowners were discussing renovations, and on home improvement forums. This helped him build credibility and establish himself as the go-to expert for home renovations in his area.

Lesson: Create content that speaks directly to your ideal customers’ needs and concerns. Show them you understand their problems and that you’re the expert who can solve them. This will build trust and make them more likely to choose you when they’re ready to buy.

4. Leverage Paid Advertising with Specific Targeting

Ben decided to invest in paid advertising but wanted to ensure that every penny counted. He didn’t want to waste money on broad ads that would be seen by people who weren’t likely to convert. Instead, he set up highly targeted campaigns.

On Facebook, Ben narrowed his ads down to homeowners in specific postcodes, people who had recently searched for renovation services, and those who had shown interest in home improvement content. On Google, he used keywords like “kitchen extension near me” and “loft conversion company.”

This precise targeting meant that Ben’s ads were shown to people who were already thinking about renovating their homes, making them far more likely to convert into paying customers.

Lesson: When using paid advertising, target your ads as precisely as possible. Use location-based targeting, interests, and search behaviour to make sure your ads are only seen by the people who are most likely to become your customers.

5. Collect and Use Customer Feedback

One thing Ben did that really helped him stand out was to ask for feedback from his past customers and share it online. He reached out to previous clients and asked them to leave reviews on Google and Facebook. He also featured their testimonials on his website and in his social media posts.

This social proof helped potential customers feel confident about choosing Ben’s services. People could see that others, just like them, had hired Ben and been happy with the results. This trust-building tactic was especially important for high-ticket services like home renovations.

Lesson: Don’t underestimate the power of reviews and testimonials. Ask your happy customers to share their experiences, and showcase these reviews on your website and social media. This will help build trust with potential customers and increase your chances of converting them.

The Results

Within just a few months of implementing these strategies, Ben’s business saw a significant increase in inquiries and bookings. His website traffic went up, and more importantly, the people contacting him were the right kind of customers—those ready to invest in major home renovation projects. Ben didn’t need to increase his marketing budget; he just needed to focus on the right tactics to find and target his ideal customers online.

Why Finding and Targeting Your Ideal Customers Matters

If you’re a small business owner like Ben, you know how important it is to connect with the right customers. The scattergun approach to marketing just doesn’t work anymore—especially online. By understanding who your ideal customers are, focusing on where they spend their time, and using targeted content and ads, you can attract the people who are most likely to buy from you.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level and start targeting your ideal customers more effectively, let’s connect. As The Customer Growth Coach , I can help you develop a tailored strategy that will attract the right customers and grow your business.

– Mark A Preston , Customer Growth Coach & Speaker